[Arneldo]

Channel 4 are planning to show heroin addicts going cold turkey in a Big Brother-style house.

The series, which will be fronted by newsreader Krishnan Guru Murphy, will monitor participants 24 hours a day as they try to beat their addiction.

A source told the Sunday Mirror, "It's an unusual idea, but it's a great chance to show people what it's like to quit a drug like heroin."

Contestants will stay at a clinic near Harrogate for the show, called Cold Turkey, which begins a five-day run on February 20.

"We have expressed serious concerns. Heroin addicts are incredibly vulnerable people and we are worried they could be exploited," DrugScope spokesman Harry Shapiro explained.

A spokesperson for Channel 4 insisted, "We are hoping to inform youngsters about the harsh reality of beating drug addiction."